7 Comments

I wonder if he would take the cubs job given the fact he won not one but TWO world series championships with a team that couldn’t win one for 86 years and still gets dumped . As a cubs fan I think if he won us 1 he could manage there as long as he would like but I guess you never know.

Francona would be a wonderful fit in Chicago, North or South Side. But I understand Francona’s tired of managnig in the pressure-cooker atmoshere of Boston. And Chicago, unfortunately, would just be more of the same, especially with the Cubs.

But an owner like Tom Ricketts and a rabid fan base are hard to beat. That type of opportunity doesn’t come around often for any manager, let alone, one who’s already been fortunate enough to coach in one. Eventually, Tito will miss Boston, it’s sold out crowds, it’s electric energy and all the winning. But he can have it all again with Chicago, if Tom Ricketts sticks to his word, of course.

That said, all good things come to an end. Boston, Chicago…it’s all the same for you, me & Tito. But it sure is fun while the winning lasts!

I never even thought of it Brian, but that is a great idea. I would love to see Tito go to the Cubs. Seems almost like a no-brainer–the guy’s a curse-breaker!

I don’t think Cubs fans create the pressure-cooker that Boston does. Cubs fans are happy to go to a game at Wrigley whether the Cubs win or lose, and they’re ecstatic when the Cubs win. It’s a little bit different at Fenway. I think it’s easier for a manager there, but that is just my opinion.

You know, until recently I would have agreed that Chicago isn’t the pressure-cooker Boston is. However, when the Cubs raised its expectations for winning in 2007 the fans bought in and have now come to expect not only a competitive club, but one that competes for the postseason year-in & year-out.

I think the drop in attendance, especially in the latter half of the year, is a reflection of Wrigleyville’s frustrations with a club 25-games back with the third highest payroll in MLB.

Losing, apparently, isn’t as much fun as it use to be!

The high level of expectations owner Tom Ricketts has set for his franchise is quickly turning the heat up on both the Cubs players and its manager to win, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but in fact, what long time Cubs fans have been waiting for.

That’s why I think Tito would be a really good fit for this team. Who better to the handle the heat than a manager who’s done it successfully for eight years under the microscope in Boston!

Wow…I didn’t know their payroll was that high. No wonder, especially since bleacher seats are more expensive these days. Expect you’re right. The Cubs still drew pretty well this year for a team as bad as they were, but not by Cubs standards.

You have to figure Quade’s going to go, this team definitely expected to be better than this. You may get your wish. Or maybe Sweet Lou could come back…

It’s not just a high payroll, either. Jim Hendry loaded the organizations with back-loaded contracts that the Cubs are paying dearly for now–Soriano being the most notable.

Hendry took a big risk shooting for the World Series in 2007 & 08, but when the Cubs quickly fizzled out of October they were left looking at a core group of aging, injured and under producing veterans. How’s that working the past two seasons!

By all accounts, Mike Quade seems like an awesome guy. But his ascent to Cubs manager appeared bad timing, which is measured by the team’s 91-losses. Obviously, you can’t blame everything on the skipper, but the Cubs need a complete overhaul to get things going back in the right direction.

The addition of a new GM probably spells the end for Quade, and would have anyway other than the Cubs posting a winning record. The good news is Ryne Sanderg is still available and willing to join Chicago despite being overlooked for the managerial seat last offseason.

Piniella, in my mind, was absolutely the right choice for manager back in ’07. Chicago was poised to win talent wise, only needing a great skipper like Lou to guide the ship. That window has closed, leaving a hungry manager like Ryne to take the reins of the mess that is our beloved Cubs.

True that, I don’t put it all on Quade, but you have to figure there would be a change. As far as the ill-advised long term contracts…watch the Red Sox the next few years. I’m betting this team doesn’t make the playoffs in 2012 either now. Too much baggage.